


The Outdoor Type

by Vorcha_Girl



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Kissing, Multi, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 07:39:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18048386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vorcha_Girl/pseuds/Vorcha_Girl
Summary: James tells a tiny little white lie about being the outdoor type and enjoying camping. What could go wrong when Kaidan and Shepard invite him along on a hiking trip? (Shenga fluff)





	The Outdoor Type

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lacksley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lacksley/gifts).



> A/N - Just a fun little fic I wrote for lacksley as part of the Spec Reqs exchange! I hope you enjoy this! :)

“I love camping.”

The words were out of James’ mouth before he could stop them, and once they were out, there was no way to take them back. He could almost see them in the air before him.  _ Glowing _ . Glaringly bright and announcing themselves for both Kaidan and Shepard to see.

_ I love camping. _

Thoughtless, stupid words.

And a lie.

A horrible, horrible lie.

Because he didn’t just hate camping; he’d never even been camping and had never felt any desire to go. Especially the kind of camping that Shepard and Kaidan did together, which tended to involving hiking, kayaking, and long stays in the wilderness with the bare minimum.

Telling them that he loved camping had been an act of desperation on his part, but what choice did he have? James smiled robotically back at Shepard as she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.  _ I love camping, I do. I love it. _ He thoughts the words hard and widened his smile into an almost maniacal grin.

He’d come back early from a mission intending to surprise Shepard and Kaidan, and had found them in the middle of packing; apparently about to leave on a camping trip of some kind. It had been stupid to feel left out when they hadn’t known he was coming, and had been even stupider to want to come along when he hated camping.

He  _ liked _ cities and the extranet and relaxing with a beer while watching a football game! 

He didn’t like camping.

But Shepard had made this comment that had wriggled under his skin. Something about how  _ if they’d known he was returning they wouldn’t have made plans without him, but he was welcome to join them _ ... and he’d leapt on it like a fool. God, she had probably been making a joke, knowing his Lola. But he’d been so desperate to spend time with them and, if he was honest, slightly injured at the thought that they didn’t think he could handle camping.

He was an N7 after all! He could handle camping! He couldn’t handle  _ anything _ !

He just … didn’t  _ want  _ to.

James barely restrained a shudder at the thought of roughing it, of not having television or music, no communications or skycars, of having to catch and cook their own food. It would be like being back in basic again, but worse, because he wouldn’t even have a proper bed to sleep on, no electric razor to keep his hair perfect, and fun explosives to play with.

The only good thing he could think of about camping was that at least he’d be able to spend some quality time with Shepard and Kaidan, the two people in his life who meant the most to him, and the two people in his life who he hadn’t seen a lot of lately thanks to an almost constant stream of missions thanks to Leviathan causing trouble for the Alliance.

James swallowed as Shepard raised her face to his. The suspicion vanished and a smile bloomed on her lips as she tossed back her mane of bright red hair, her green eyes twinking. Behind her, Kaidan raised an eyebrow and smirked. 

_ He knew _ , James realised. Somehow, Kaidan knew he was lying, and the biotic sonofabitch could barely keep the smile off his handsome face.

“Jimmy, I’m so glad you’ll come with us!” Shepard took his arm, her nails scraping suggestively against his skin in a way that he’d missed. “Kaidan knows this great place near a lake where we’re going to set up camp once we hike our gear in, and there is this beautiful mountain nearby with amazing rock climbing. It’s only a 30 mile hike in and out, but with some great level five tracks! They’re super challenging! You’ll love it! We’re going to do some biotic meditation too, I guess you can do regular meditation, and apparently there is a reaper husk in there than we can study and see what effect it’s had on the local environment. I know you hate tech stuff and sciencey things, but it means we get to spend some more time together, right?”

Shepard was frighteningly enthusiastic, and James struggled to think of a reply, because he couldn’t think of anything more horrible than a 30 mile hike up a challenging trail while carrying heavy camping gear, only to do mountain climbing and meditation while in close proximity to a reaper. He glanced at Kaidan but the Major only winked at him and moved further into the kitchen, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter as he caught James’ brief look of horror.  

Arranging his expression into what he hoped was something approximating excitement James grinned feebly back at Shepard. “That sounds really ... _ great _ ... Lola. You know me, I’m always up for an adventure.” He slid his arms around her waist and dipped his head to catch her mouth in a kiss, hoping she wouldn’t hear the insincerity in his voice as he added; “And I love camping almost as much as I love you.”

“You sweet talker,” she purred and curled her arms around his neck as she kissed him back. “You must  _ really  _ love camping!” 

James gulped: he could do this.

He could handle a week camping if it meant some beautiful nights under the stars with Kaidan and Shepard, some roasted marshmallows and then some maybe a chance to slip off with one or other, or both of them, for some alone time. James’ hands tightened on Shepards waist and slid down her curves suggestively, just as his eyes moved over Kaidan’s muscular form.

Damn he’d missed them.

Shepard wriggled free of him with a laugh. “Well, you pack the basics and we’ll head out in a few hours as per our original plan.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “This is exciting! I can’t believe you never came withs us before since you love camping so much.”

James smiled weakly as she vanished into her bedroom to, he assumed, resume packing. He waited until she was gone, and then whirled around and turned on Kaidan, his eyes wide and pleading.

“Kaidan, man, you have to help me!” He tried to keep his voice down, but the edge of desperation was obvious. “I don’t know the first thing about-”

“Camping?” Kaidan seemed to find his panic hilarious, and his eyes gleamed blue with a biotic flash of amusement. “Well, yeah,” he grinned. “That much is obvious. Do you even own a sleeping bag?”

“No.”

Kaidan narrowed his eyes. “A tent?”

James shook his head. “Nope”

_ “Hiking boots?” _

“No.” He gave his head another shake and shrugged. “Surfing is about as close to nature as I like to get.”

Kaidan stifled a laugh that was half-frustration and half-amusement. “Oh Jimmy, Jane’s going to eat you for breakfast when she finds out you lied about camping.” 

James tried to grin and he raised his hands in a helpless gesture. “Maybe she’ll find me sweetly enduring, like you do?”

His boyfriend snorted and tossed a dishcloth at him. “Yeah, I’m sure she’ll find you enduring as hell as we’re dragging your sorry ass through the hiking trails and setting up your tent for you.”

“Maybe I could share  _ your  _ tent?” He winked and tossed the dishcloth back, grinning when it hit Kaidan in the face. “I’m sure you could squeeze me in.”

The biotic rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched into a smile. “Ah, the truth at last. Coming along with us is all a clever seduction attempt. Classic Vega move.”

“What else did you expect? Did you think I was trying to get in touch with nature?” James wrinkled his nose. “I only came back to spend some quality time with the two of you. Sleeping with you is my goal. Sleeping in a tent is an … unintended side effect.”

Kaidan laughed huskily and pulled him into an affectionate half-hug. “You’re ridiculous, but I love you anyway.”

“And luckily, so do I.”

James gulped at the sound of Shepard’s voice and turned to see her standing in the doorway again, her eyes dancing with amusement. She looked almost devishlish as she stood there, her arms folded and her lips pursed as though fighting off a smile.

“You know,” she drawled slowly as she strolled towards them, “your face when I invited you camping is probably the  _ best  _ thing I’ve seen all week.”

“Hey!” he protested weakly as Shepard joined Kaidan in hugging him and realisation dawned.

_ She knew _ .

She knew he hated camping and had known all along. 

“Do you mean to say you  _ knew  _ I hated camping?” he demanded.

“Yup.” She grinned. “You really think Kaidan and I didn’t notice how every other time we planned a camping trip and invited you along you had some  _ incredibly important _ event that you couldn’t miss? You’re a  _ terrible _ liar, James. The worst.”

James smiled sheepishly; he’d never been good at hiding his feelings from Kaidan and Shepard. Even back during the war his crush on Shepard, and then later on Kaidan, had been hopelessly obvious. It was no wonder they’d seen straight through him when he’d lied about camping.

“So we’re not going camping?” he checked. “This was just to torture me?” James shifted his weight as the two of them hugged him tighter, flexing his muscles and hugging them back.

Shepard winked. “Us? Torture you?”

Kaidan pressed his lips to the back of James’ neck. “We’d never do any such thing, but … no. We’re not going camping. Jane and I thought we could spend the night together watching bioti-ball and snuggling instead.”

James tightened his arms around them in relief and grinned as he lifted them of the floor in a hug. “I love you, but you’re both assholes.”

“Maybe,” Shepard kissed him, “but it’s nice to know that you’re willing to make this  _ great sacrifice _ for us if need me.”

“Oh shut up.” He could feel himself blushing as Kaidan and Shepard laughed, and he followed them into her bedroom, where she’d set up the bioti-ball game on the television facing the bed while kaidan distracted him.

“Good to have you home, love,” Shepard said, squeezing his hand and curling up on the bed with Kaidan.  They left a James sized gap between them.  “We missed you.”

 

The End :) 


End file.
